Houston was wounded in the ancle by a musket ball in the early part of the engagement; but remained on his horse until it terminated.
On the part of the Texians, only six men were killed and twenty wounded! The history of war does not furnish a parallel to this splendid victory; but Gen. Houston did not tarnish the laurels so gallantly won, by following the example of the Mexicans, in shooting his prisoners of war. They were removed to Galveston Island; and Gen. Santa Anna and his officers were put on board of an armed schooner, and anchored off the shore. Gen. Santa Anna made a proposition that all his army in Texas should lay down their arms—the Independence of Texas acknowledged—the expense of the war to be paid by Mexico, and himself to remain as a hostage. These were to be the terms of peace; but, unfortunately, he does not possess the power to fulfil them. Mexico will not probably, either agree to pay the expense of the war, or to acknowledge the Independence of Texas. The Texian war is national in Mexico; and Santa Anna continued his power solely by directing the popular fury against Texas. His death would give general satisfaction through the Mexican republic; and the Texian war will enable some other brave to rise into power in Mexico.
Although this signal victory may not terminate the war in Texas, as there are still nearly three thousand Mexicans there, under Generals Ardrade, Urrea and Sesma; and about five thousand more at Saltillo, ready to enter; yet we believe, it fully settles the question of Texian Independence. The capture of Santa Anna will cause a new revolution in Mexico, and a new organization of government. The Texians will gain time to prepare for the contest. Aid, effective and sufficient, will be received from the United States; and it is not probable that another general will be found, to prosecute the war with the experience and vigor of Santa Anna.
The question respecting the acknowledgement of the independence of Texas by the United States, has been moved and discussed in Congress. There seems to be a diversity of opinion among our citizens, whether it would be preferable to acknowledge its independence, or to have it annexed to the United States. Our opinion is, that for all the useful purposes of a good government, the territorial limits of the United States are already sufficiently extensive. If more territory were added, the nation would become too unwieldly to be well managed, and in time would fall to pieces. Texas, of itself, has larger territorial limits than many of the nations of Europe; and when it shall have gained its independence, if wise heads and pure hearts take the lead in its government, it will soon be settled and become a powerful nation.
San Felipe is the head quarters of Austin's Colony. It is situated on the south bank of the Brazos river, a hundred miles from the sea. It is three hundred miles southwest from Natchitoches, and five hundred miles west of New-Orleans. The following table shows the distance and bearing of the principal towns in Texas from San Felipe, the names of the rivers and bays upon which they are situated, and their distance from the sea coast. Those accessable to sea vessels, have a star prefixed.
| Towns. | Distance from San Felipe. | Direction. | River or Bay on which it is situated. | Distance from the sea. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| San Antonio, | 170 | W. | San Antonio, | 200 |
| St. Augustine, | 250 | N.E. | Ayish Bayou, | 150 |
| *Anahuac, | 120 | E. | Galveston Bay, | 50 |
| *Brazoria, | 75 | S.E. | Brazos, | 30 |
| *Bolivar, | 50 | S.E. | Brazos, | 55 |
| Bastrap, | 100 | N.W. | Colorado, | 180 |
| *Columbia, | 65 | S.E. | Brazos, | 40 |
| Cole's Settlement, | 40 | N. | Prairie, | 140 |
| *Copano, | 150 | S.W. | Aransaso Bay, | 25 |
| Electra, | 45 | N.W. | Colorado, | 150 |
| Goliad, | 125 | S.W. | San Antonio, | 75 |
| Gonzales, | 125 | W. | Guadalupe, | 180 |
| *Harrisburg, | 65 | E. | Galveston Bay, | 75 |
| Liberty, | 125 | N.E. | Trinity, | 55 |
| *Linchburg, | 75 | N.E. | Galveston Bay, | 75 |
| *Matagorda, | 100 | S. | Colorado, | 20 |
| Montezuma, | 35 | W. | Colorado, | 130 |
| *Matamoras, | 280 | S.W. | Rio del Norte, | 45 |
| Monclova, | 390 | S.W. | On Prairie, | 280 |
| Nacogdoches, | 245 | N.E. | On Prairie, | 150 |
| *Orazimba, | 55 | S.E. | Brazos, | 50 |
| *Refugio, | 290 | S. | Rio del Norte, | 1 |
| San Patrick, | 180 | S.W. | Neuces, | 50 |
| Tinoxtitlan, | 100 | N.W. | Brazos, | 200 |
| *Velasco, | 100 | S.E. | Brazos, | 0 |
| Victoria, | 100 | S.W. | Guadalupe, | 75 |
| Zavallas, | 200 | N.E. | Neches, | 80 |
Transcribers note:
Apart from a few obvious printers errors original spelling has been retained.